Like a Moth to Flame
by Ghostwriter Redux
Summary: "I am a Vampire Hunter." Words she used to speak with such pride were now being used as an excuse to protect her heart. "You can't fall in love with me." Unfortunately for Hisana, she's about to discover that Fate has a nasty way of leading the willing and dragging the reluctant...Pairing: eventual Takuma/OC.
1. Prelude

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does.

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 _"Don't depend too much on others in this world because even your shadow leaves you when you're in darkness."_

That was my mom's favorite thing to tell me when I was growing up.

I think it had something to do with my 'god damn bastard of an asshole father' leaving her shortly after I was born (mind you those are her words, not mine).

She blamed him for a lot of things; the first and foremost was not being in my life, as well as forcing her to quit hunting vampires in order to raise me (though she had never said that I knew it was true).

And yeah, you read that right.

Vampires.

They exist but don't worry, that's also why people like me exist.

My mother was a 5'1 ball of energy, raising me with an iron fist inside a velvet glove. She taught me everything she knew about hunting vampires as well as the world in general. She expected me to be the best I possibly could and there was no way I could fail with the faith she had in me.

I was top of my classes all the way through primary school as well as one of the most talented apprentice's at the Association. My weapon of choice was identical to hers; a pair of black and silver karambit knives. I never even began training with a firearm until He came into her life.

I didn't like him to begin with; I thought he was arrogant and completely unworthy of her affections. I'm a possessive person, especially when it comes to those close to me. It took until my seventh birthday to finally realize that he was there to stay and I grudgingly welcomed him into my life.

He loved my mom and doted on me like I was his own daughter. He even took me shopping with him to help pick out the engagement ring he was going to present to her on the next St. Xocolatl's Day. I was on my way to having a proper family for the first time ever and couldn't be happier.

But as a wise man once said, all good things must come to an end.

I had just turned nine years old when my world was abruptly ripped from beneath my feet.

I had always been an inquisitive child, asking questions left and right. My mother never kept anything from me. So imagine my immense surprise when I was finishing up my bath one evening and came across a box of blood tablets in the medicine cabinet.

Turns out she was a vampire, a former human to be exact. I had no idea when she had been bit as she never returned from a hunt injured before. She was supposed to be invincible, the one that vampires warned their children about at night when they were tucked into bed.

I knew about Level D's, how they all eventually degenerate into Level E's and the only thing I could think about from that moment on was how much time we had left together.

Unfortunately it wasn't very long.

The very next day I opened the door to see a man with long blond hair tied back in a tail and glasses perched on his nose looking down at me solemnly and somehow I just knew. He told me that my mother had gone berserk (though he said it much more professionally than that) and attempted to take some students lives at the school where she had worked. She was then killed by a Vampire Hunter though he never specified who it was. I suppose that was to protect me.

I never saw the only man I would ever call 'Father' again. It was like he had dropped off the face of the earth when she died.

Was it any wonder why I found it hard to let people into my heart after that?

After her funeral and a few months had passed I finally asked my new guardian about her. Had the Association known she was a vampire? How long had she been a vampire? How did she manage to hold onto her sanity for so many years?

He would just smile sadly in response, rest a hand on my head and say, "Because of you, Hisa-kun. Everything Saya did was for you." Then he went and ruined the moment by asking me tearfully why I wouldn't address him as 'father'.

I remember long ago asking my mom about my real father. It was the first and last time I ever brought him up because I never wanted to see such a heartbreaking look on my mom's face again. She had smiled tiredly, hauling me onto her lap before sharing with me some words of wisdom;

"There will be some men in this world that you can't fall in love with Hisana. He will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place so that you can never go back to them without tasting him like blood in your mouth. He will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when he leaves you will finally understand why storms are named after people."

It would take me nearly twelve years until I finally realized what she had meant by that.

My name is Hisana Aoki. I am a Vampire Hunter, and I have fallen for one of the very beasts I've sworn to kill.

Maybe I am truly cursed after all…

* * *

Yeah, yeah. Something else. Been wanting to write this for some time so I did *shrugs*. Anyways, for those who follow 'Body Snatcher', I am in the process of completing the next chapter (I'd say it's a little over halfway done). I've been very busy with school and work, both of which come first before writing. I do have spring break next week however so expect an update then if all goes well. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Thank you to those who have favorited/followed this and a special thanks to BlueRedPinkRanger for reviewing. Glad to hear you're enjoying it so far. See you at the bottom.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight. If I did, there would have been more Shiki/Rima scenes. Alas...

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"Yuuki. Yuuki, wake up."

"Teacher, Hisana is asleep as well."

"So is Kiryuu."

"I can't believe this, wake up you three!" Said-teacher hollered, startling several other students but not succeeding in rousing the ones he was aiming for. Hisana raised her head for a moment if only to resituate it on her folded arms before burying her nose into the crook of her elbow once more.

She had woken up the moment she heard her classmate say her name ( _fucking snitch_ ) but she wasn't interested in her mathematics lecture that afternoon, having mastered multivariable calculus (albeit _very_ unwillingly) by year eight. She could pass her geometry class without even taking notes, the only reason she did so was so she could help Yuuki study.

Speaking of which…

She raised her head a fraction, peering at the slumbering prefect two rows in front of her through her dark bangs. Hisana's lips curved into a slight grin when she saw the small puddle of drool that had pooled under Yuuki's cheek on the desk.

She saw Sayori whisper something into Yuuki's ear and a few seconds later the brunette leapt upright, holding her pens up as though they were chopsticks with her worksheet clinging to the side of her face. "Let's eat!"

Hisana snorted, seeing Zero's shoulders twitch out the corner of her eye as he tried to refrain from laughing. The rest of the class began snickering amongst themselves before a glare from the teacher shut everyone up. Hisana glanced over at Zero and the two hunters shared a smile that quickly turned into identical frowns upon hearing the teacher bellow;

"Supplementary classes! You, Kiryuu, and Aoki!"

"Well shit," she muttered as Yuuki immediately sat back down in embarrassment, peeling the paper from her face. Not even the sight of her sister's cheek smudged up with ink could ease the thought of spending two more hours in Eda-sensei's company.

"See me after class you three."

"Yes sir," the trio responded in unison before slumping down in their chairs and cursing their lousy luck.

* * *

"Oh gosh we're so late!"

"Chill Yuuki, the Night Class is perfectly capable of looking after themselves."

"Aido isn't."

"Touché," the sable-haired teen replied with a slight grin, zipping her bag closed. "Gimme your bag, I'll see if I can pawn our stuff off to Yori before she heads back to the dorms."

"Okay. We have to hurry!"

"Yuuki," Hisana began, resting her hand on the smaller teen's shoulders and looking her in the eye. "This stress isn't good for your blood pressure. Kaname has all his dogs on short leashes. They'll be fine."

Yuuki pursed her lips in annoyance, shrugging Hisana's hands away. "I wish you wouldn't talk about them like that."

"And I wish I had a baby duck but we can't always get what we want, can we?" If Yuuki heard the vitriol in Hisana's voice she made no mention of it and instead gave Hisana her books before darting out of the classroom.

The young hunter followed at a more sedate pace, in no hurry to play Night Class babysitter that evening. There was a little over fifteen minutes left before changeover started anyways and it wouldn't take her that long to get to her dorm and back.

Upon reaching the Sun Dorms she jogged up the stairs to her room, depositing her and Yuuki's bags on the table before dropping onto her bed. Her roommate, Shindo Nadashiko, was most likely already at the gates. It didn't bother Hisana that her roommate was a fangirl so long as she kept her distance and didn't try anything stupid.

Unlacing her school boots Hisana kicked them off, wiggling her toes with a pleased sigh before pulling on her black and gray sneakers. Once she was properly attired for crowd control she opened her wardrobe, retrieving the box that sat at the bottom of it.

Setting it on the table she unhooked the chain around her neck that held the key and unlocked it, revealing a set of karambit knives and a pistol. The heavier weaponry she owned (her katana, crossbow, and rifle) were kept in the Headmaster's living quarters since she couldn't very well carry them around campus without arousing suspicion.

She adored her karambits. They weren't a standard set, the blades were longer than average and made for slicing rather than stabbing (though they were still very capable of shanking her foes). She had always been more adapt at close-quarters combat than her peers and could go toe-to-toe with Level C's without much fuss.

Hisana stepped into the nylon harness that would secure her knives to her thighs, strapping it to her waist over her bike shorts. She examined her knives, running her thumb over the blades lovingly before sliding them into their respective holsters and smoothing her skirt down over them. Shaking the key free from the chain she picked up a small silver vial from the chest, slipping it onto the empty chain before placing it around her neck once more. It had an intricate engraving of the Hunter's Association symbol on it and she felt a bit more at ease at the comforting weight resting just below her collarbones. It was supposed to be gifted to hunters when they came of age at 16 but her...ah, 'father', had given it to her when she was eight. It was against the rules the Hunter Association but he wasn't really one for following rules.

She'd only had to use it once before and hoped she would never have to ever again but you couldn't be too careful, especially when you patrolled a school where half the student body were vampires

Fully aware that it was twilight and two minutes until changeover Hisana stopped stalling and locked the container once more, stowing the key in her underwear drawer for safekeeping. She wasn't in any hurry to escort the vampires to class and knew Zero would be there to help Yuuki.

At least she hoped he was. He had been slacking off as of late (or more so than usual she should say) and she was a bit concerned. The fact that he had a taming tattoo on his neck didn't ease her worry either. She didn't like having to constantly be on guard around her friend on the off chance the mark didn't work and he dropped to Level E and attacked someone. It was one of her worst fears, having to hurt him (god knows the kid had been hurt enough already). The raven-haired teen placed the box back in her wardrobe and headed off to the gates of the Moon Dormitory.

* * *

" _Kaname, are you coming? Class is about to start soon."_

" _Yes, just one moment Takuma."_

" _Sure." The pureblood waited until he heard his friend's footsteps beating a steady retreat down the hall before turning his attention back to the partially set chessboard on the table before him. He reached forward, picking up a photograph lying beside it._

 _It was of his dear Yuuki and her 'sister', Hisana, one taken on their first day of High School. Hisana had come to live with Cross when she was nine after her mother died and though the two were only related through paperwork he could tell they cared deeply for one another._

 _With that thought in mind he picked up a frosted-white glass Rook in his free hand, setting it to the Queen's left beside a white Knight. The Rook was the second most powerful piece on the board after the Queen; given a worth of five pawns and able to easily checkmate a lone King._

 _If everything went according to plan that's exactly what would happen before the end of the school year._

 _Kaname looked back at the photograph, laying it down on the table before standing and gathering his books. The board had been set, the first pieces were in motion._

 _All that was left to do was see how it would end…_

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Thanks for reading. This will follow the storyline along with emphasis on the relationship Hisana will have with Takuma and everything else is sort of background noise. Major plot points will still be hit and hinted at though (Yuuki's love triangle, Zero's little 'problem') but the focus is on Takuma/OC since I freaking love him and no one writes about him (or at least they've never finished stories with him in them). If anyone's got recommendations for a good Takuma/OC story let me know. Cheers.


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: If I owned Vampire Knight, that means I'd actually be able to draw. As it were…Matsuri Hino owns VK, I only own my OCs and make no profit from writing this.

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"You need to return to your dorms, it's almost curfew!" Hisana frowned when she saw how Yuuki struggled with the Day Class girls. Yuuki was too…she didn't want to say 'weak' but-

…

Actually 'weak' seemed to be a rather fitting term for the petite prefect.

Don't get her wrong, Hisana liked Yuuki. She just didn't think letting the girl interact with vampires on a daily basis was the safest thing to do. Despite having a badass former Hunter as an adoptive father, Kaien didn't really seem all too interested in training her to defend herself.

Hisana could understand where he was coming from. After all, Cross Academy _was_ built in a Hunter Town. Hell, the country's Hunter Association was less than a twenty minute drive from the school itself. Cross Academy was probably one of the safest places you could live provided the vampires kept their fangs to themselves.

They did. Most of the time. There were a few problem children out of the bunch but that was to be expected.

Yuuki was agile and wielded her bo staff well but she just wasn't a fighter. Hisana could count on one hand how many times Yuuki effectively defended herself against a peckish Night Class student without assistance and still have three fingers left over.

Speaking of which…

"-preferred treatment just because you're the Chairman's daughter!"

"That-that's not true!" Yuuki replied, obviously flustered as she brandished the armband she sported. "As a member of the Disciplinary Committee I-."

Hisana's eyes narrowed dangerously when she saw one of the girls, a redhead named Misaki, give Yuuki a shove backwards. Yuuki stumbled and would have hit the ground had Zero not chosen that moment to show up.

"That's enough," Hisana announced, stepping between Yuuki and Misaki. "Your homeroom teacher will hear about this. I'd advise you all return to your dorms unless you want detention for the rest of the week."

"You can't give all of us detention," another girl called from the back of the crowd.

Hisana's lips curved into a mocking smile when she heard Zero chuckle quietly. "Care to bet on that Megumi?"

Hisana was many things though stupid certainly wasn't one of them. She knew the name of every single girl that fawned over the Night Class at the gates and even though she couldn't match names to faces very well they didn't need to know that…

The crowd shifted nervously, falling silent as they obediently parted into rows. Hisana followed suit, dragging Yuuki by her elbow to one side while the gates to the Moon Dorms opened slowly.

"Are you okay?" she asked the smaller prefect quietly while the Night Class began their procession, giving her an once-over.

"Y-yes! S-sorry for worrying you," Yuuki laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"Don't sweat it. Just be careful. If something happened to you it'd be just me and Grumpy Gills over there," Hisana muttered out the corner of her mouth, folding her arms loosely over her chest.

It was uneventful for the most part, hands were kept to themselves and Hisana only counted three girls passing out when Hanabusa Aido smiled at them. It was shaping up to be what was sure to be an easy night until the Night Class President, Kaname Kuran, decided to strike up a conversation with Yuuki.

"How have you been Yuuki?"

"H-huh!?" she squeaked out, color rising in her cheeks as she looked at the ground. "I-I've been okay."

Kaname frowned, resting a hand on Yuuki's shoulder before gently cupping her cheek. Hisana's eyebrows shot up into her hairline at the sight, jaw going slack for a moment. She couldn't hear the rest of their conversation as she was much too busy trying not to be trampled by a horde of teenagers.

A grunt escaped her lips when someone's boot heel came down hard on her instep, causing pain to shoot up her leg and knocking her off balance.

Her arms windmilled for a moment as she struggled to stay standing, not in the mood to have any of her fingers stepped on by either the fangirls or the vampires. It had only happened once before but it was an incident she certainly did not want to endure again anytime soon.

"Easy does it," she heard someone laugh lightly, feeling their hands settle on her shoulders and keeping her on her feet. She ignored the itchy feeling at the back of her skull that always flared up whenever she was in close proximity with something _very _ capable of ripping her throat out and instead turned to face the always-smiling Takuma Ichijo.

"I'm sorry Ichijo-senpai," she said, curtly dipping her head in a show of respect for the upperclassman (and because Kaien would have a litter of kittens if he heard she was being rude to the vampires…again).

"No harm done," he replied easily. "I don't envy your job Ms. Disciplinary Committee." The corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a tiny smile before returning to her default Resting Bitch Face™.

"You're falling behind," Hisana said, gesturing to the other Night Class students with her head, eyes narrowing a fraction when she saw Zero grabbing Kaname's wrist. "If you'll excuse me, senpai."

Her fingers twitched towards her knife holsters as she shooed the rest of the Day Class away, ignoring their whines of protest and instead leveling a hard glare at them. Few were brave enough to stand their ground for a few moments longer before fleeing to the Sun Dorms with the rest of their classmates.

"Have a good night Yuuki, Kiryuu," Kaname said, sounding almost cordial before turning his back on the three guardians.

"Good night Aoki-kun," she heard Takuma address her, waving goodbye with a cheerful smile and falling into step alongside Kaname.

"What a weirdo," she muttered when he was out of earshot, resting her hands on her hips and turning her attention to the other guardians. "What was that all about you two?"

"Kuran was getting handsy-."

"He was not-!"

"Was too! How could you let your guard down like that!?"

"Hey-."

"He wouldn't do anything to hurt me! Or anyone else for that matter!"

"Guys-."

"You don't know that!"

"Children, please-."

"Yes I do Zero!"

Hisana rolled her eyes, placing her index and middle fingers of both hands at the corner of her mouth and unleashing a loud, shrill whistle. Both Yuuki and Zero recoiled from the noise, turning the glares they had been giving each other onto her.

"What was that for?" Zero snapped though Hisana wasn't at all intimidated and soldiered on.

"The girls are returning to their dormitories and the Night Class has reached the lecture hall. We should meet up with the Chairman before we begin our patrols for the evening."

"This is stupid. Having to deal with these girls day after day," Zero grumbled in annoyance.

"You were five minutes late mister!" Yuuki snapped, pointing at him. "So don't act like you're all high and mighty. It's our duty as guardians so show a little respect."

"Tch, pot meet kettle."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"You know damn good and well what I mean. I don't care if you like him but…you understand, don't you?"

Yuuki frowned, glancing over her shoulder as the door to the school swung shut. "Of course I do. They are different from us…"

"Children," Hisana said calmly, stepping between the teens. "Hakuna your tatas, savvy?"

"Hakuna our what-?"

"Calm your tits," she clarified, grinning slightly as Yuuki blushed. Hisana tried not to swear a lot in front of the slighter teen, knowing it made her uncomfortable but some day's she just couldn't resist.

"Whatever," Zero muttered though she could see the back of his neck was pink. "Let's just get our assignments from the Chairman and get this crap over with."

"Roger, roger."

* * *

"Same shit, different day," Hisana murmured, lacing her hands behind her neck as she exited the Chairman's office. She wasn't stupid enough to jump out the goddamn window like Yuuki was, thank you very much, and took the stairs down to the ground floor.

She had come to live with Cross when she was nine years old after her mother, a former Human who had degenerated into a Level E, was killed by a hunter. She didn't have any extended family and her mother hadn't mentioned her birth father since she was a kid. Cross was generous enough to take custody of her and welcomed her into his home with open arms.

Hisana had tried understanding his pacifist ideology but it was difficult. All her life she was told vampires were monsters that wore human faces and it was her duty to hunt them down and keep humans safe. She could accept that not all vampires were evil, not all of them wanted humans dead but those that did outweighed the ones that didn't. She needed more time to understand as she was certain Cross's revelation didn't just happen overnight, considering he'd been mercilessly hunting vampires long before Hisana was born.

Maybe one day humans and vampires could coexist but there was still much work to be done by both parties. Having vampires attending the Academy was a massive step towards Kaien's goal but it would only work if the vampires behaved themselves.

Speaking of which…

Hisana slowed to a stop, seeing Kaname and Ichijo strolling along the sidewalk. She sighed tiredly, heading their way. She didn't like speaking with either vampire; Kaname because his mere presence made her feel nauseous and Ichijo because…

Because…

Well…

She blew a strand of hair out of her face, pausing in mid-stride. It wasn't as though the vice president made her uncomfortable. She found his presence more welcoming than, say, Aido, but there was just something about him…He was such a strange one for a vampire, always running errands during the day and never without a smile. He seemed so…human…

' _But he's not,'_ she thought, unconsciously brushing the handle of one of her knives before jogging over to the pair, catching the tail-end of their conversation.

"Yuuki-chan is a funny one, isn't she?"

"Yes. We don't have anyone like her in the Night Class. To someone accustomed to the darkness she is a blinding sight," Hisana swallowed thickly when Kaname's eyes took on an eerie shade of red in the low lighting.

"I'm partial to Hisana-kun myself. She's so cute and feisty, like a badger," Ichijo replied with a cheery grin. Hisana's eyes narrowed dangerously at his comparison between her and a fucking overgrown weasel. "Remember when we were on holiday to Canada a few years ago and I got to hold that wolverine baby!?"

"It's hard not to," Kaname sighed. "If I recall properly it tried clawing your eyes out."

"It's how they say hello," Ichijo replied defensively with a childish pout as Kaname rolled his eyes.

"Hey you two," she greeted the pair, coming up behind them. "You guys shouldn't be skipping class."

"We have a free period. I had forgotten one of my books in my dorm and I was going to retrieve it. Takuma offered to keep me company," Kaname said, giving her a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Hisana wasn't stupid. She knew Kaname didn't like her. He merely tolerated her presence because she was friends with Yuuki. Still, it was better than she could've hoped for.

You _really_ didn't want a pureblood as your enemy…

"Ah, alright then. Make sure you're back in class before eleven. I can still give you guys detention."

"Scouts honor, Aoki-kun!" Takuma replied with a curt salute.

"Don't pick on Aoki-san Takuma," Kaname chided his friend with a small smile. "We need to get going. We don't want detention after all." Hisana pursed her lips, getting the distinct feeling she was being mocked but let it slide on account that she was nowhere near caffeinated enough to engage in a verbal sparring match with the pureblood and come out on top.

"Have a good night," she murmured when they passed by her on their way to the Moon Dormitory. She jolted in alarm when a hand touched her shoulder gently. She nimbly flipped a knife into her palm in preparation to strike before realizing it was only Ichijo.

"Thank you for patrolling the grounds Aoki-kun," he said quietly, giving her a tiny, nervous smile when he realized what she was holding.

"I'm just doing my job Ichijo-senpai," she muttered, shrugging his hand off before rubbing her shoulder like his mere touch had burned her. No more words were exchanged between the pair but he seemed to get the message with the way her eyes were downcast, shadowed by her bangs. Seconds later she heard his footsteps beat a hasty retreat to catch up with Kaname.

Only when they left her line of vision did she allow herself to holster her weapon, leaning back against a stone pillar. Hisana pulled a deep breath of cool air into her lungs in an attempt to settle her nerves. Her entire body felt like a live copper wire from adrenaline and it was beginning to make her nauseous.

"I need to be more careful," she sighed, tipping her head back and looking at the overcast sky above her. It was unlike her to be so jumpy. Usually she was the most level-headed of the three prefects but lately she'd been on edge. Something big was coming, she could sense it.

A storm was beginning to brew over Cross Academy and she found herself wondering if she'd be able to survive it…

* * *

Major thanks to RandomFTfangirl202, Guest, BlueRedPinkRanger, Tessalyn, and ChildOfTheWicked for reviewing. You guys are too kind *blush*. Thanks to everyone else for favoriting/following this. My spring break is almost over so everything will start slowing down. Please bear with me. I've got…six or seven weeks of school left and then national exams and licensing tests and things so yeah. Thanks for reading. Cheers.


	4. Chapter Three

A/N: Thanks to those who have favorited/followed this and a special thanks to BlueRedPinkRanger and Cookies16 for reviewing. I feel all squishy and derpy inside when I read nice reviews ^_^. Anyways, see you at the bottom.

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Disclaimer: *Insert witty reason why I don't own Vampire Knight here*

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"Are you feeling okay Hisana?" The aforementioned teen clicked off the hair dryer, glancing over at Yuuki who was leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Yeah…? Why do you ask?"

"You seem quiet is all," Yuuki shrugged, placing her towel and pajamas on the toilet lid.

"When am I not quiet?" Hisana snorted, fluffing out her short hair and winking at her reflection with a sassy little smile before grabbing her toothbrush.

"That's not what I meant," Yuuki sighed, resting her hands on her hips. "Is something bothering you?"

"You're surprisingly astute when you wanna be," Hisana muttered around her toothbrush.

"Astute?"

"Never mind," she spat out the rest of her toothpaste, wiping her mouth with her towel as she faced the smaller prefect. "I'm fine. I promise. Just tired is all."

"So if something was wrong you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course. We're sisters after all," Hisana smiled slightly when a huge grin broke out on Yuuki's face. She loved being able to make Yuuki smile.

"Of course!" she beamed happily. "Will you wait for me to finish so we can walk back to the dorms together?"

Hisana gave a curt nod, hanging a hand towel on the doorknob before pulling it closed behind her. She jumped in surprise when she came face to face with Zero.

"Son of a Siberian war monger!" she gasped as the silver-haired teen gave her an odd look. "Don't fucking do that." She smacked him on the chest to emphasize her point though he merely snorted in response.

"What's wrong?"

"Noth-."

"If you're going to lie at least do a decent job of it," he interrupted her quietly and she cast her gaze towards the ground. "I should never be able to sneak up on you. Something has you worried and when you worry, I worry. I need you at the top of your game Aoki."

A wry smile graced her lips. "Back to last names huh? Can't say I like the change."

"Only when it's business," he replied, lips kicking into a lazy half-smile and they headed for the living room to wait for Yuuki to finish with her shower.

"I just had a weird night. Besides, I should be asking you what's wrong," Hisana said, taking a seat on the couch and tugging her sneakers back on.

"What do you mean-?" She raised an eyebrow, eyes flickering towards his neck before meeting his gaze. He flinched slightly, raising a hand to rest over the taming mark. "I'm fine."

"I just worry-."

"About me or the other students?" he snapped angrily though she could see in his eyes he was lonely and miserable.

When she thought about it, he and Kaname had the same eyes…

"That's not what I mean and you damn well know it," she replied in a harsh whisper. "Yuuki doesn't know, does she?"

"No, and I want it kept that way," Zero muttered, running a hand back through his hair with an agitated sigh. Hisana frowned, resting her forearms on her knees as she leaned forward.

"She'll find out sooner or later. I think it would be for the best if you told her," she suggested though the silver-haired teen merely shrugged in response.

"I'm heading back to the dorms," was all he said as he grabbed his blazer and exited the Chairman's quarters, slamming the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Hisana craned her head, glancing over her shoulder to the third member of their motley crew drying her hair with a towel.

"You know how he gets when your dad spouts shit about pacifism and puts the vampires up on pedestal. He just needs time…," she trailed off, seeing Yuuki frown. "Let's get back to the dorms. I need my beauty sleep."

"Not all vampires are evil Hisana."

"You've lived a relatively sheltered life here Yuuki," the taller teen said suddenly, feeling the need to defend her fellow prefect. "Your experience with vampires come from interacting with tame ones on a daily basis-."

"Tame?" Yuuki surprised her by scoffing a bit. "They aren't animals Hisana-."

"They might as well be," she snapped, seeing Yuuki recoil slightly at the harshness of her voice. Hisana closed her eyes, collecting her thoughts before she said something to upset Yuuki further. "My point is you have a vastly different experience interacting with vampires as opposed to me and Zero, you know? We've been trained since we were children to kill them. It's literally in our DNA to do so. All I ask is you try to understand where we're coming from if only a little bit."

"I can't really understand if you two won't let me in," Yuuki said sadly, collecting her uniform before looking up at her with a forced smile. "But I'll try, for you and Zero."

"That's all I ask," Hisana replied quietly. "Let's get going."

"…sure…"

* * *

"Oh my god," she groaned, running her hands through her hair and giving it a vicious yank. "Would you guys just shut up!?"

"Wah! Aoki-san is so mean~!"

"I'll show you mean," Hisana growled under her breath when the students began getting rowdy. She glanced over her shoulder, meeting Zero's gaze for a moment before he turned away. He had been ignoring her most of the day and she figured it was due to the night before.

' _Tch, whatever. As long as he can perform his duties adequately,'_ she thought sourly to herself. He had been nearly ten minutes late that afternoon, Yuuki having gone and fetched him from his favorite nap spot in the stables.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite prefect~?" She flinched at those boisterous words, feeling an arm wind around her shoulders. She didn't even have to look to see who it was as the fangirls glares spoke volumes.

"Let me go Aido-senpai," she managed to say cordially, the rest of her sentence going unspoken. ' _Or I will shoot you in the kneecap you leech.'_

"You're always so mean to me," he whined, hugging her to his side as she wondered what she had done wrong in a past life to have Aido's attention. "You smell divine by the way."

"It's called L'Oreal, now let go," she growled, reminding herself that if she put him in a chokehold and threw him over her shoulder it would upset the Chairman. The fangirls seemed to sense the hostility radiating off her and hightailed it back to the Sun Dorms, leaving the prefects and the Night Class alone.

"Leave her be Aido," Hisana looked up in surprise at the sound of Ichijo's voice. Usually it was Kaname reprimanding the disobedient students. Maybe he was just tired of doing it or something.

' _Not likely. I think he's in love with the sound of his own voice,'_ she thought to herself with a faint snort of amusement.

A few tense moments passed before Aido's grasp on her slackened enough for her to shrug his arm off her shoulder. The rest of the Night Class passed by quietly enough and it was only when Hisana turned around did she realize Ichijo had lingered behind.

"Are you okay? I know Aido can get a bit…rough…," he said, giving her a quick once-over.

"I'm fine. I've had worse, believe me," she shrugged, unconsciously rubbing the left side of her abdomen where she bore a scar from her first solo hunt as a teenager. Were it not for the elixir she had gotten for her eighth birthday she would've been _much_ worse off.

"I just worry. That's all. I'd hate for something bad to happen to you," Ichijo said, emerald eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

"I can assure you I am more than capable of looking after myself, senpai," Hisana replied, resting a hand on her hip in a sassy manner.

"I-I didn't mean to insinuate you are incompetent or anything, I just-," he stammered before falling silent. "You were teasing me, weren't you?"

"Took you long enough," she smirked, feeling an odd sense of pride when his cheeks reddened a bit.

"They say the tongue like a sharp knife can kill without drawing blood," he said solemnly.

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you a Buddhist, Ichijo-senpai?"

"Merely a scholar and a gentleman," Ichijo grinned boyishly.

"A scholar who's gonna be late to class if he doesn't hurry up," she pointed out, turning her head to the side so he couldn't see her rosy cheeks. What the hell was wrong with her? She was blushing like one of those damn fangirls when they looked at Aido. Hopefully it was just a one-time thing, she didn't need Zero giving her shit for acting all girly when Ichijo smiled at her.

"Ah, you're right. Have a nice evening Aoki-kun," Ichijo grinned wider if it was at all possible before turning to catch up with his fellow classmates.

"What the hell was that about?" She cringed when she heard Zero's accusatory statement, ducking her head when he passed her by.

"Nothing. He was just being polite-."

"You're starting to sound like Yuuki," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets as Hisana scowled.

"I'm nothing like Yuuki," she hissed, glancing at the brunette prefect skipping several feet ahead of them to the Chairman's office. "I know where my loyalties lie."

"I certainly hope so," Zero muttered. "One vampire-obsessed prefect is enough."

"Don't be such an ass," Hisana grumbled, punching him on the arm. "He's the most tolerable of the Night Class. I think he's starting to grow on me a smidge."

"Like cancer maybe," he snorted and she socked him once more, feeling proud of herself when he winced and rubbed at his arm.

"I know it's difficult but if you could refrain from being a jerk for the next ten minutes it'd be great," she snapped.

"What's your problem?" Zero asked, sounding almost bewildered. "Any other time you'd be making fun of them with me."

"I'm not in the mood to fuck around. I didn't sleep well last night," she raked a hand back through her hair, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Bad dreams?"

"You could say that," she murmured, shutting her eyes briefly as she recalled the dream she'd had earlier that morning.

*\/*\/*

" _Saya Aoki was killed."_

" _I heard. Who's gonna take care of the brat?"_

" _I thought Saya was with-."_

" _He asked us not to talk about it, remember?"_

" _Right. I forgot."_

" _I heard Kaien Cross was going to look after her."_

" _Poor kid's already gonna be messed up. Being subjected to Cross for the next eight or so years will only mess her up further."_

" _Don't be a dick. I feel bad for her, having a bloodsucker for a mom but not knowing about it."_

" _And you call me a dick?"_

" _Shame Saya's dead. She was one hell of a hunter, ranked up there with Yagari and Ren."_

" _She wasn't all that if she got bit now was she…?"_

 _Hisana's eyes widened at those hushed words as she clutched her teddy bear tighter to her chest, stepping back from the doorway. Her lower lip trembled and she choked back a weak sob. Her mother hadn't even been dead for twenty-four hours and her comrades, people that had been helping training Hisana since she walk were saying such horrible things about her!_

" _Hisa-kun?" Hisana swallowed tightly, looking up into Kaien Cross's honeyed gaze. He knelt down to her level, enveloping her in a tight hug. She struggled in his iron-like grasp for a few moments before relenting, burying her face in the side of his neck as she wept._

" _I miss my mommy," she whimpered, not caring how pitiful she sounded._

" _I know sweetie," Kaien sighed tiredly, giving her another squeeze. "I know…"_

*\/*\/*

"Hisana, you okay?"

"Huh?" she raised her head, realizing they had reached the Chairman's living quarters. "Y-yeah. Just thinking 'bout stuff."

"You're crying," Yuuki said quietly, reaching forward and rubbing her thumb over Hisana's cheek.

"H-huh?" Hisana stammered, raising a hand to her face as her fingertips came away damp. She nudged Yuuki's hand away, scrubbing her forearm over her face in embarrassment. "I'm fine."

Yuuki frowned a bit but said nothing more, opting to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and a timid smile. "C'mon. Let's go talk to the Chairman before patrol."

* * *

"France?"

"Paris."

"Egypt?"

"Cairo."

"Sweden?"

"…"

"Sweden…?"

"…"

"Oi, space cadet…"

"…" Hisana grumbled under breath, annoyed that Yuuki was ignoring her futile attempts at helping her study for geography in favor of creeping on Kaname.

"How's Kuran doing tonight?"

"H-huh?" Yuuki stammered, whirling around to face Zero with a blush on her cheeks. "I-I'm not just looking at Kaname! Everyone in the Night Class behaving tonight!"

Hisana snorted quietly, stuffing the flashcards into the top of her left boot for safekeeping and leaned back against the railing of the roof, looking up at the stars. "Stop picking on Yuuki, Zero. Even if she makes it really easy to do so."

"Hey!" Yuuki whined, stomping her foot childishly and eliciting a light laugh from the raven-haired teen.

"Sorry. You're just so adorable when you get grumpy," she chuckled, running a hand back through her hair with a goofy little smile.

"No one from the Day Class is out wandering around. It's a peaceful night so far," Yuuki sighed lightly, surveying the grounds before facing the other prefects.

"Don't jinx it Yuuki," Hisana groaned, shutting her eyes lazily as the trio lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Do you really think that? That the Day and Night Class can get along?" Hisana glanced up at Zero through her eyelashes, cautious of the rather large minefield she was about to walk into and began collecting her thoughts.

Unfortunately, Yuuki wasn't known for her tact (poor thing) and fearlessly strode right into it. "Of course! Not all vampires are evil. Kaname could have easily killed me when I was a child but he didn't."

"The Chairman thinks the Night Class shares his pacifistic views, that they're 'good vampires'. I don't believe it. Not for one second." Hisana frowned at the crestfallen look on Yuuki's face. She desperately wanted to believe vampires and humans could coexist and was trying to support her father's views but it was difficult when you ran with someone like Zero on a daily basis.

"What about you Hisana? What do you think?"

"Me?" She pointed to herself, glancing up at the sky once more. "Does it really matter what I think? I don't want to argue with either one of you tonight. The whole reason we were appointed as guardians was to help the Chairman achieve his dream."

"That's where you're wrong Hisana," the two females looked at Zero in surprise. "The only reason I became a prefect was so I could discover the most effective way to take out those beasts in human form."

"Zero," Yuuki said quietly though he spared neither girl another glance as he shoved his hands into his pockets and headed for the staircase.

"That went better than I thought it would," Hisana murmured, sitting upright and stretching her legs out in front of her. Yuuki slumped down beside her, leaning her elbows on the railing and scanned the grounds once more.

"At least it's been a quiet night," Yuuki sighed, offering Hisana a tired smile that didn't reach her eyes before hearing a sharp yelp come from somewhere beneath them.

"Are you okay Megumi?"

"Y-yeah, I just tripped. I-I'm okay."

Hisana pursed her lips, glaring at Yuuki as the smaller teen withered under its intensity. "This one's all you," she growled, flicking her playfully on the forehead.

"Don't worry. I've got this," Yuuki grinned. The blood drained from Hisana's face in realization when Yuuki placed a hand on the railing and vaulted over the side of the building. She used a tree as a springboard, catching herself on it before landing on her feet, jogging over to the Day Class students.

Hisana rested a hand over her pounding heart, exhaling a quivery breath. "I really wish she'd stop doing that." She stood, leaning her forearms on the railing as the words 'not fair' and 'just a few pictures' reached her ears. She held back, wanting to see how Yuuki handled the situation before she caught sight of two flashes of white out the corner of her eye.

"Son of a bitch," she scowled in annoyance, hightailing it towards the staircase. "Damn all vampires to hell, seriously..."

* * *

Not a lot of Hisana/Takuma just yet. Sorry about that. Gotta get canon out of the way before then. Hisana is beginning to notice Takuma a bit but she thinks it's just because he's attractive (she might be a vampire hunter but she's also a teenage girl ya' know?) Anyways, thank you for reading.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks to all you guys who've favorited/followed this and the ghost readers as well. Special thanks to James Birdsong, BlueRedPinkRanger, and NightlyRowenTree for reviewing. Ya'll are super-duper swish. Seriously.

* * *

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino. I only own my OC and make no profit from this.

* * *

"Can't leave you two unsupervised for even a minute," Hisana grumbled, resituating the unconscious teen on her back.

"S-sorry," Yuuki stammered, rubbing the tie wrapped around her palm and blushing a bit.

"Where were you?" Zero snapped, shifting the girl in his arms as the trio filed into the nurse's office.

"I took the stairs, thank you very much," she replied frostily, depositing her cargo carefully onto a cot. "I'm just happy you weren't hurt worse Yuuki."

"S-sorry nee-chan," she said once more, looking down at her boots shyly.

"I just worry, that's all," Hisana sighed, giving Yuuki's head an affectionate pat before booping her on the nose.

"Hey! That's not funny," Yuuki whined, knocking her hand away and folding her arms moodily over her chest.

"How's your hand?" Hisana asked, hopping up onto the counter.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt that badly anymore."

"Can I see?"

"I'm fine."

"Yuuki-," Hisana said warningly, giving her an unsettling smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Show me your hand please."

"You're such a bully," Yuuki muttered, obediently untying the fabric wound around her hand.

Hisana ignored the sound of Zero's breath catching, instead taking Yuuki's hand in hers and examining the puncture wounds.

"I'm going to go tell the Chairman what's happened here so he can inform the nurse," he said, not quite able to keep his voice from wavering a bit.

"You do that," Hisana murmured when he exited the clinic, only to hear him break into a run when he reached the entrance doors to the school.

"Zero's acting weird," Yuuki said, wincing when Hisana prodded the bite marks gently.

"Sorry. Let's get these cleaned real quick. I'm sure Aido's mouth is teeming with bacteria and other unsavory things," Hisana replied, eliciting a quiet laugh from the brunette prefect.

A few peroxide wipes and a dab of antibacterial ointment later and Yuuki's hand was as good as new. Hisana slapped a band-aid on her hand; she would bandage it better after Yuuki had bathed later on.

"Did you hear what I said?" Hisana glanced up, letting her hands rest in her lap.

"What's that?"

"Zero's acting strange. He's been more…I don't know, distant?" Yuuki fussed with a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "I mean, he's always been a bit detached but-."

"I know what you mean."

Yuuki chewed her lower lip, giving the nurse that had entered the clinic to check on the girls a pleasant smile before addressing Hisana once more. "You guys are good friends. I was wondering if you knew what was going on. I'm worried about him."

It was Hisana's turn to frown that time, spinning around on the swivel chair. She hated being stuck between a rock and a hard place. She didn't want to tell Yuuki that Zero was a vampire but she needed to know. Flipside of that coin was it wasn't her place to tell Yuuki something so personal. If Zero wanted her to know, he'd tell her. She'd just have to trust him.

"Nee-chan?"

The hunter's lips twitched as she tried to smile for her sister but it looked more like a grimace than anything. "He's…working through some stuff right now. That's all I know. Just give him some time."

"If you're sure. I'll trust your judgment Hisana," Yuuki smiled slightly, hopping off the cot. "Let's go finish up our patrol before we go to bed."

"Sounds good."

* * *

"Guess what's today~?!"

"How are you so perky in the morning?" Hisana grumbled, pulling her blanket up over her head with a groan.

"Bone of the father unwillingly given, flesh of the servant willingly sacrificed, and the blood of my enemy forcefully taken."

She slowly lowered her blanket, eyeing her roommate warily. "You scare me sometimes Shindo."

The spectacled girl simply smiled innocently, continuing to brush her hair before plaiting it into her usual pigtails. "It's St. Xocolatl's Day today."

"Mmhm."

"You know what that means."

"A metric shit ton of work for me?"

Shindo clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I didn't mean like that."

"Oh, I know full-well what you meant," Hisana snorted, sitting up in bed with her blanket draped over her shoulders as she watched her roommate finish getting ready for class.

"Are you giving chocolates to anyone this year?" she asked, buttoning her blazer and fixing her ribbon. "You know, aside from Cross-san and Kiryuu-san?"

"Nope."

"There's no one in the Night Class you fancy?"

"Nope."

Shindo rolled her eyes, gathering her textbooks. "Not even Ichijo-senpai?"

Hisana paused in the middle of rubbing her eyes, peering at her roommate through her splayed fingers. "Why would I-?"

"You haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"Really?"

"I'm not awake enough for twenty questions Nadeshiko," Hisana grumbled, narrowly avoiding the hairbrush thrown her way. "What are you talking about?"

"He looks at you when he's walking to class. His gaze lingers on you for a moment too long for it to be an accident. I think he likes you."

Hisana rolled her eyes, swinging her legs over to the side of her bed. "He doesn't have any reason to like me." _Trust me…_

"I think it's sweet," Shindo sighed, hugging her books to her chest with a dreamy smile. "It would be forbidden love, like Romeo and Juliet! I can totally picture Ichijou-senpai as a prince too!"

"In case you don't recall Romeo and Juliet was a 'love' story between a 13 year old girl and a 17 year old boy that lasted three days and ended in the death of six people," Hisana replied with a lazy smile, resting her chin on her knees.

Shindo pouted cutely, hefting her bag over her shoulder. "You're gonna be late to class if you don't hurry up."

"I've got almost half an hour," Hisana said with a dismissive wave of her hand, watching the brunette exit their dorm room.

After completing her morning stretches Hisana got dressed for school, nearly choking on her toothbrush when someone banged on the door.

"Hisana! Hisana are you up!?"

"Well if I wasn't already I am now, Yuuki," she grumbled, splashing water on her face and shaking her hair back from her eyes.

"The Day Class is already at the gates of the Moon Dorm! Hurry up!"

"I'm hurrying," she called back, slipping her armband over her left wrist to its usual spot on her bicep. Making sure her school things were in order so she could grab them before class Hisana exited her dorm.

"C'mon!" Yuuki grabbed her wrist, pulling her down the hall at a brisk walk.

"Sleep well?" Hisana asked, hissing a bit when the sunlight hit her eyes.

"Not really. I was up late last night-," Yuuki trailed off, cheeks reddening a bit.

"Doing what?" Hisana raised an eyebrow.

"I-I was trying to make chocolate and it-."

"-went about as well as you expected which means not very well at all?" Hisana suggested with a teasing grin, grunting a bit when Yuuki punched her in the side. Okay, so maybe she deserved that one.

"Shut up," she pouted, shaking her hair back from her eyes. "Anyways, none of the fangirls are in class which means they're at the Moon Dorm."

"I'm sure Zero will have it all on lock by the time we get there," Hisana said in the middle of yawning. "He's good like that."

"When he wants to be," Yuuki replied, sighing once more when she saw the group of girls swarming around the gates.

Hisana inhaled deeply, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Class begins in five minutes! Get going!"

"I don't think they heard you," Yuuki commented as the other teens continued speaking animatedly, calling out the names of their 'idols'.

"No shit," Hisana snorted in disbelief, resting her hands on her hips. "You wanna give it a go?"

"Certainly. That's why I brought this!" Yuuki said, withdrawing a whistle from her pocket with dramatic flourish. "Gimme a boost, will you?"

The hunter laced her fingers together as Yuuki stepped into them, vaulting over her head onto the wall of the Moon Dormitory, blowing the whistle as she did so.

"Hey! Everybody in the Day Class has class right now! Please return to your classrooms!" she yelled.

"I'm just gonna offer my chocolate!" Hisana raised an eyebrow at the sound of a familiar voice, seeing her roommate balancing quite precariously on another girl's shoulders.

"Don't do it, Nadeshiko," she said quietly, beginning to move when she saw the other girl's knees buckle a bit.

"D-don't climb the walls!"

"Watch out!"

Utilizing the preternatural speed being a vampire hunter gave her Hisana darted forward in the blink of an eye as soon as Shindo began to tip backwards, only to slam into Zero's back. She hit the ground with a thud, looking up worriedly to see Shindo safe in his arms.

Hisana breathed a sigh of relief, standing up and brushing the seat of her skirt off.

"Th-thank you Kiryuu-san," Shindo stammered nervously as Zero set her on her feet.

"Let me tell you something," he began, sending an irritated look towards Shindo before addressing the rest of the girls. "The Night Class never leaves the Moon Dorms during the day. If you have something you want to give them, come back at twilight when they come out to attend class."

"If you all keep making a fuss and skipping class this event might get cancelled," Hisana said, standing by Zero. "And I know you guys don't want that so get going okay?"

"You guys don't have to be so mean."

"Don't glare at us."

"They're so rude."

Hisana pointedly ignored the whispers as the crowd began to disperse slowly.

"Don't say stuff that'll make the girls hate you even more you two," Yuuki scolded the hunters, jumping down nimbly.

"I'm not here to be liked," Hisana shrugged. "I could care less."

"What do you want us to do then?" Zero asked her suddenly. "Our role is to make sure the Day Class doesn't find out the truth about the Night Class."

"I know," Yuuki sighed, looking over her shoulder at the gate. "We have to be extra careful tonight."

"Constant vigilance!" Hisana barked, seeing the other prefects jump in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" Yuuki asked in bewilderment, clutching her heart in surprise.

"Never mind," Hisana blushed a bit. "Let's go."

"Um, okay," Yuuki trailed off, heading off towards the school.

"Book reference?" Zero asked quietly when Hisana passed him.

"Book reference," she agreed.

"Okay," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.

A few moments passed in silence before she heard Zero mutter, "Nerd."

"H-Hey-!" Hisana stammered, feeling his hand come down on her head and tousle her hair violently.

"But you're my nerd so it's okay." She glanced up through her messy bangs at those words, seeing a tiny half-smile on his lips. "Hurry up. Even though we're prefects Inoue-sensei will still give us supplementary classes if we're late."

"I know," she grumbled as she smoothed her hair down and wondered why seeing Zero's smile made her heart skip a beat…

* * *

This is part one of my St. Xocolatl's chapter. I wanted to pen something out and I'm having a brain break between studying (finals are next week so bear with me as it's crunch time). Hope you enjoyed lovelies. Sorry for grammar booboos. It's almost midnight and I work in like...six hours. Anyways, bai!


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